Robert Aitken Rōshi, a master of Zen and founder of the Diamond Sangha, dedicated his life to profound study and teaching of Buddhist principles. His path to enlightenment was shaped by pivotal encounters and extensive practice in both Japan and Hawaii. Aitken Rōshi is renowned for his writings, which offer incisive insights into the nature of the mind and the integration of spirituality with daily life. His works encourage active engagement with the world and compassion, reflecting his conviction in the social responsibility of Buddhists. Through his extensive teachings, he has inspired generations of students and continues to write even in his retired status.
Robert Aitken, author of Encouraging Words and Taking the Path of Zen, is America's most senior Zen Roshi. In this new book he presents the Ten Paramitas, or Transcendental Perfections - namely, giving, morality, forbearance, zeal, focused meditation, wisdom, compassionate means, aspiration, spiritual power, and knowledge - two-thousand-year-old ideals that can serve us as both methods and goals
Are Christianity and Buddhism just "two paths leading to the top of the same mountain" - or are they fundamentally irreconcilable? As Buddhism takes root in the West, this question arises with ever greater frequency, sparking intriguing discussions but eluding easy answers. These conversations between Robert Aitken Roshi and Brother David Steindl-Rast offer a fresh approach to the question, one that begins with the intimacy of everyday practice rather than with philosophical and theological concepts - and one that benefits from the respect and good-will the two friends bear for eachother's traditions, even as they challenge them.
„Der La Fontaine des Zen-Buddhismus. Zen-Meister Rabe trifft Präriehunde, Braunbären, Elche, Spechte und auch den Pfarrer Kranich. Mit ihnen diskutiert er in typisch humorvoll paradoxer Zen-Manier den Sinn des Lebens und die Möglichkeit der Erleuchtung. Robert Aitken, einer der bedeutendsten US-amerikanischen Zen-Meister der Gegenwart, hat in diesem Band die gesamte Weisheit seiner jahrzehntelangen Zen-Praxis vereint. Amüsant und nachdenklich, immer für eine überraschende Wendung gut, hält er unserem zweifelnden, fragenden und suchenden Geist den Zen-Spiegel des fabelhaften Tierreichs vor. Ein Buch mit Klassikerqualitäten, mit dem man sich selbst und den anderen eine Freude machen kann. Hochwertige Zeichnungen runden dieses wertvolle Buch ästhtetisch ab.“
There is a fine art to presenting complex ideas with simplicity and insight, in a manner that both guides and inspires. In Taking the Path of Zen Robert Aitken presents the practice, lifestyle, rationale, and ideology of Zen Buddhism with remarkable clarity.The foundation of Zen is the practice of zazen, or mediation, and Aitken Roshi insists that everything flows from the center. He discusses correct breathing, posture, routine, teacher-student relations, and koan study, as well as common problems and milestones encountered in the process. Throughout the book the author returns to zazen, offering further advice and more advanced techniques. The orientation extends to various religious attitudes and includes detailed discussions of the Three Treasures and the Ten Precepts of Zen Buddhism.Taking the Path of Zen will serve as orientation and guide for anyone who is drawn to the ways of Zen, from the simply curious to the serious Zen student.
Robert Aitken Roshi ofrece en este libro las bases del entrenamiento Zen, abordando la postura, la respiración, los koan y la relación maestro-discípulo. Con una perspectiva occidental, el autor responde a las inquietudes de los practicantes, brindando una guía clara y completa para quienes se interesan en el Zen.
